সোমবার, ২৩ এপ্রিল, ২০১২

Some people devote their life for the sake of ALLAH through
preaching his approved deen or Islam. Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, who is
well known for his knowledge seeking behavior, is not exception to them. He is also
prominent as a teacher, orator, writer, and critical intellectual. He is the
scholar, who sturdily delivered the message of Islamto encourage the people to come under the
umbrella of Islam.

Dr. Abu Ameenah was born in Jamaica on January
7,1952 and brought up in Toronto, Canada, where he embraced Islam in 1972 as he
said, “After about 6 months
of reading and discussion, I had made my decision and embraced Islam in 1972.”Both his parents are
teachers, and one of his grandfathers was a church minister and Bible scholar. The
happiest and serenest moment for Belal came when both of his parents embraced Islam
at their seventies.

After conversion to Islam, Dr. concentrated to his education
life and achieved different degrees including B.A (Islamic principles, 1979), M.A
(Theology, 1985) from Medina
and King Soud University
respectively. Furthermore, he has completed his PhD (Islamic theology) from the
University of Wales in 1994.

Dr. presented some Islamic programs on Saudi Television
Channel especially ‘interviews of converted Muslims’ named ‘Why Islam’ after
successfully completion of his M.A degree and Worked
in the religious department of the Saudi Arabian Air Force headquarters in
Riyadh during the Gulf war (Desert Storm) where he lectured American troops .as
a result over 3,000 soldiers embraced Islam.

He joined in
private school of Riyadh
and taught Islamic studies and Arabic for over ten years. As a lecturer, he
taught Islamic studies in Islamic university of cotobato city, Mindanao, Philippines.

By appearing in
Peace TV, he speaks on different fundamental topics of Islam including Faith,
polygamy, contemporary issue, oneness of God and so on.

He is transcendent for his dedicating life to spread Islam as he did and
still doing now as the founder director of Islamic information center in Dubai,
united Arab emirates since 1994 and also founded Islamic Online
University which has over 6600 students. About the success of information
center ,Belal said, in the first five years, about 1,500 people from America,
Australia, UK, Russia, China, Germany, Philippines, Sri Lanka, India and
Pakistan had converted to Islam at the center.

Currently, he is a lecturer of Arabic and
Islamic Studies at the American
University in Dubai and Ajman University
in Ajman, UAE.

Dr.
has written over 100 scholarly
books and many articles. Some of which are ‘Funeral Rites, The Fundamentals of TAWHEED
(Islamic Monotheism) Purpose of Creation, Tafsir: Surah Buruj, Exorcism in Islam, Evolution of Islamic Law, Islamic Studies,
Hajj and Umrah According to Quran & Sunnah, Islamic Rules on Menstruation, Arabic
Reading & Writing Made Easy, Arabic Grammar Made Easy, The Qu’ran's
Numerical Miracle - Hoax and Heresy, Evolution of Fiqh, Tafseer Surah
al-Hujurat, The Ansar Cult, Salvation Through Repentance. He has also
co-authored Polygamy in Islam.

A
lover of Islam can enjoy the Video lectures ofBelal on You tube, where following lectures are available: Foundation of
Islamic Studies, Contemporary Issues, Oneness of God, In search of Inner Peace,
Struggle of Cultures: Clash of Civilizations , Avoiding the unlawful,
Euthanasia, My Way To Islam, Judgment Day, Empire of Deceit (Series), In the
names of Allah (Series), Increasing Faith in Difficult times, In the light of
Islam (Question and Answer sessions), Understanding Islam and so more on peace TV.

He lives in Doha, Qatar,
with his family where he teaches at the Islamic Studies Academy. He enjoys
playing squash at least three times a week with his wife and sons as a way to
stay fit and stress-free. He teaches his children martial arts and has a black
belt in Karate.

Islam is always superior because it
gives us the peaceful and violent free life where everymen are trying to
present themselves unassumingly to their God, ALLAH. Dr. Philips is always
trying to remind us this message again and again. As he says, “There is no time for holidays”, “when you realize
how little time there is, and how much work has to be done for Islam.” for
further information about his life one can visit His Website: www.BilalPhilips.com

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:The most influential Muslim pundit in the modern world

Yusuf Al- Qaradawi was born on September 9, 1926 in an Egyptian Muslim
family. He lost his father at two years old in 1928 and brought up by
his uncle. Though his family pressured him to be sources of income, he
had few concentrations about that, due to fulfill the thirst of
knowledge. He concentrated in reading Quran and memorized it when he was
9 years old boy.

It should be noted that he was very
pious from his childhood which made him a follower of Hasan Al Banna,
the great Muslim scholar in that time. He gathered much knowledge from
his teachers and leaders. Before moved to Qatar to his uncle, he
attended in the Al Azhar university in 1928.

He came back from Qatar in 1940 and
joined at Al Azhar to restart his study. Then he joined the Faculty of
Theology and got the `Aliyya certificate (equivalent to BA degree at
present) in 1952-53. He got also the ‘Ijaza of teaching from the Faculty
of Arabic Language in 1954.

In 1960 he obtained the High Preliminary
Study which is equivalent to MA degree from the department of the
Sciences of Qur’an and Hadith at the Faculty of Theology. In 1973 he got
the PhD. degree with his dissertation about Az-Zakah wa-Atharuha fi
Hall al-Mushkilat al-Ijtima`iyya (Zakah and its Influence in the
Solution of Social Problems.)

Actually in his life he tried to ease
off the Shariah within the obligations in practical life. So in his
early life, he delivered much speech and writings for Islam and against
monarchy and was imprisoned more than three times in 1949 when his book
‘Tyrant and the scholar’ was published.

Al Qaradawi is now one of the most
eminent scholars of Islam. He has been trying to provide practical
solution on current world problem which are in integral part of Muslim
life. These problems cover suicide bombing, terrorism, alcohol,
Homosexuality, conflict between Israel-Lebanon, Israel-Palestine and
other basic Shariah rules and obligations such as Hijab, religious
rights. For his contributions, he is known as moderate Muslim scholar on
religious and social matters.

Moreover, he has been struggling to
depose misconceptions and misinterpretations about Islam and to provide
exact and superior solutions on various issues through his writings and
speeches.

He has published over 100 books dealing
with various aspects of Islamic life, literature and poetry. His best
known books include: The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam (1960),
Priorities of the Islamic Movement in the Coming Phase (1990).
Approaching the Sunnah: Comprehension & Controversy , Islamic
Awakening Between Rejection and Extremism and Priorities of Islamic
Movement.

Qaradawi served as Dean of the Islamic
Department at the Faculties of Shariah and Education in Qatar, and as a
Chairman of the Islamic Scientific Councils of Algerian Universities and
Institutions. He was also a faculty member at the Michigan-based
Islamic American University (IAU), a subsidiary of the Muslim American
Society. Until at least June 2003 he was Chairman of the IAU Board of
Trustees.

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi is the head of
the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), and the president of
the International Association of Muslim Scholars (IAMS).

He is popular for his ‘Al Jazeera’
program named ‘Ash-Shariah wal hayat (Shariah and life) and for website
“Islam online” that he helped to found in 1997, where he offers opinion
and religious verdicts (Fatwa) and provide possible solutions based on
Quran, Hadith and strong logic. He delivered many speeches in his
interviews given in different media.

He worked as a khatib, teacher, and
writer at Al-Awqaf and Al-Azhar. Many scholars consider him to be a
mujtahid of the Modern Age. He has been active in the field of da`wah
and the Islamic Movement for more than half a century.

Dr. Yusuf is also well-known in
Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim scholar. Many of his books are available
in Bangla language. We should study those books to clarify the concept
of Islam. Finally, it can be said that, we have lots of things to learn
from this great scholar’s life and works.

Dr. Monzer Kahf: The
modern Islamic Economists of the world

In 20th century, some Muslim
scholars devoted their lives and attempted to develop the ideas Islamic
economics and financial systems. Dr. Monzer Kahf is one of them.He is known as an eminent
economist, counselor, lecturer and expert of Islamic Shariah and laws.

He was born on 1940 at Damascus, the capital city of Syria and
completed his primary and secondary education from the educational institute of
Damascus and took a Bachelor degree (B.A in commerce) from the University of
Damascus on June in 1962 .at the same time he was awarded by the president of
Syria for his outstanding performance. In 1967, he achieved ‘High Diploma in
social and economic planning’ from the United Nations institute of planning, Syria.
This scholar attained his Ph.D in Economics (Major currency Development and
Economy) on March 1975 from the University of Utah, Salt lake city, Utah. He has
also Strong training and
knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) and Islamic Studies.

Undoubtedly, it can be mentioned that the performances of Dr.Kahf
was satisfactory in different organizations. In his rich working life, he
joined at different organizations including university, research institutions, and
financial institutions and worked splendidly.

Dr.
Monzer was the Instructor of School of Business, University of
Damascus, Syria (1962 – 1963) and worked as the Auditor of Government State Audit Office,
Syria from 1963 to 1971.

After completion his graduation, he taught economics (1971 –
1975) in university of Utah as a teaching assistant. He worked as the Director of Finance in Islamic Society of
North America (1975 – 1981) and the Manager of National Zakah Fund and Islamic Cooperative
Fund for Muslims in North America, (1975- 1981).

He was the Research Economist (1985 – 1999), Head of Research Division (1989
– 1991) and the Senior
Research Economist (1995 – 1999) of Islamic Research and
Training Institute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia and showed his stupendous performance in preparing research plans,
evaluating research works, organizing seminars on Islamic economics, banking
and finance, writing original research papers , generating ideas for research
projects ,coordinating with other departments, and networking with other
research organizations .

He joined
in the Yarmouk University, Jordan, as the Professor of Islamic
Economics and Banking in the graduate program and taught Islamic economics for
two years (2004-2005).he is the Certified Public Accountant in Syria since 1968.

Currently, he is working as a Consultant, Trainer and Lecturer of Islamic
banking, finance and economics and hasPrivate
practice at California in USA, which is started in 1999 by him.

He founded The
Indiana state licensed Muslim Students Association’s Credit Union and the
Islamic Housing Cooperative of Indiana in 1980.later, these were the model of such
cooperatives and credit unions in the USA and Canada. He is also the founding
member of ‘International Association of Islamic Economics’ and ‘Association of
Muslim Social Scientists of the United States and Canada’. From 1974 to1999, he
was the member of ‘American Economic Association’.

Dr. Monzer is a consultant of Islamic Housing Cooperative,
Toronto, Canada, and the Islamic Society of North America and mosques in the
United States and Canada, on the matters of ‘initial work procedures’ and
‘Islamic law relating to properties at marriage, inheritance, last wills and
living trusts respectively. He provided the shariah law for Islamic financial
institutions in the USA, Canada, Trinidad, Nigeria and Guyana.

Dr.kahf visited many countries including USA, Canada, and
the countries of the Middle East, Europe, the Caribbean, South East Asia and
Africa for the purpose of lecture in seminar, conference and as a consultant
for financial institutions and delivered his lectures on Islamic Financial laws
and regulations, Islamic economics and banking, Awqaf, Islamic Trusts, Islamic
estate planning, charities in the Islamic Religion (Zakah), Friday Sermons in
mosques and Islamic centers, etc. He is also the Speakerin two programs
of IslamOnline.net: Live Fatwa and Live Dialogue in special sessions on Islamic
banking, finance, Zakah and Awqaf.

Dr.Kahf is the author
of 28 books and
booklets in English and Arabicon Islamic
banking and finance, Islamic economics, Zakah, Awqaf. Some of his books are
translated to Indonesian, Turkish and Korean languages. some of his familiar
books are ‘Instruments of Meeting Budget Deficit in Islamic Economics, The
Islamic Economy: Analytical Study of the Functioning of the Islamic Economic
System, Economics of Zakah, The Islamic Economy: Analytical Study of the
Functioning of the Islamic Economic System, International Economic Relations
From Islamic Perspective, The Islamic Economy: Analytical Study of the
Functioning of the Islamic Economic System and so more.

He has written more than 100 articles, in English and Arabic, on
Islamic economics, Islamic public and private finance, Islamic banking, Zakah,
Awqaf, including entries for the Oxford
Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World.

Dr.Kahf was awarded by Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and
selected for IDB prize for his brilliant contributions in Islamic Economics,
2001

Dr.monzer kahf is a citizen of USA and currently living at
Westminster, California with his wife and children.

Dr. Muhammad Umar Chapra : the pioneer of modern Islamic Economics

After the 15th century, the study of
Islamic economics was absent for a long time. In the mid 20th century,
some economists tried to expose the application of Islamic economics in
both written and practical format. Dr. Muhammad Umar Chapra, born on
February 1, 1933, in Pakistan is one of them. This well-known Islamic
economist started his education at High School under the University of
Sind (1950) in his motherland and stood first in the whole University
among 25,000 students. He achieved his B.
Com. (B.B.A.1954), M. Com. (M.B.A.1956) and Ph. D (Economics, 1961)
degree from University of Karachi and University of Minnesota
respectively.
The writings and speech of Chapra gave the basic Principles of Islamic
economics with the strong theories, model and some clear empirical
evidences. Moreover, He firmly found the shortcomings of modern
economics, criticized it and gave the superior framework of Islamic
economics to apply in the modern economics. Why the value judgment or
religion or ethics is important to achieve the economic goal, he showed
that in his research.
He has lectured widely at a number of universities and professional
institutes in different countries around the world, including the
Harvard Law School, Loughborough University, the Oxford Centre for
Islamic Studies, the London School of Economics, Universidad Autonoma,
Madrid, the University of Malaga, Spain, the House of Commons, London,
and the Islamic University of Rotterdam, and the Asia Pacific and Kyoto
Universities in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan.
He has participated in a number of meetings of international and
regional organizations like the IMF, IBRD, OPEC, IDB, OIC, and GCC.
By clear away the misconception, Dr. Chapra presented the fundamental
differences between Islamic and modern economics, common characteristic
of Islamic consumer, producer, Islamic application on market, income
distribution, poverty eradication, fiscal and monetary policy, zakat,
bank, insurance, stock market and many other topics of economics.
He spent most of his professional life outside of his homeland in the
U.S.A. (6 years) and 44 years in Saudi Arabia as a researcher, teacher
research adviser. He was the teacher of economics at the University of
Minnesota (1957-60), the University of Wisconsin, Platteville (1960/61),
the University of Wisconsin, Platteville (1963/64), the University of
Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. (1964/65) and Economic Advisor and then Senior
Economic Adviser at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, July 1965-
October 1999), Research Advisor at the Islamic Research and Training
Institute of the Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah (November1999).

He
has authored 16 books and monographs and more than 100 papers and book
reviews. Some of his books, monographs and papers have been translated
into a number of languages, including Arabic, Bangla, French,
Indonesian, Japanese, Malay, Persian, Polish, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu.

Some of his famous books and monographs
are, Towards a Just Monetary System (1985), Islam and the Economic
Challenge (1992), The Future of Economics: An Islamic Perspective
(2000), Muslim Civilization: The Causes of Decline and the Need for
Reform (2008), Islam and economic development, Objectives of the Islamic
Economic Order, The Islamic Welfare State and Its Role in the Economy,.
Islam and Economic Development: a Strategy for Development with
Stability in the light of Justice and Islamic teachings, what is Islamic
Economics?, Regulation and Supervision of Islamic Banks, Prohibition of
Interest: Does it Make Sense? , The Future of Economics: An Islamic
Perspective, “Money and Banking in an Islamic Economy, “The Role of the
Stock Exchange in an Islamic Economy and so on.
Dr. Chapra has been awarded with gold medal from different universities
(University of Sind, research and dawah institutions (Islamic Council of
North America (ICNA), King Faisal International Award) and banks
(Islamic Development Bank award) for his contributions to Islam and
Islamic economics.
Dr.chapra is now living in Saudi Arabia with his wife Khairunnisa Jamal
Mundia and four children Maryam, Anas, Sumayyah and Ayman.

He is also well-known in Bangladesh and visited it to participate in an
international conference on economics arranged by Islamic economics
Research Bureau (IERB). His books are also available both in Bangla and
English in our country.
“Islamic economics has effective tools and can solve economic problem of
human life successfully”Dr. Chapra proved it easily, which illustrates
the superiority of Islam. We should study Islamic economics more
carefully to present it as the best solution for humanity.